Electric-railway conduit.



No. 673,538. Patented May 7, l90l.

F. HEWER. ELECTRIC RAILWAY DONDUIT (Application filed June 12, 1900.\ (No ModeL) 4 Sheots-Sheet I.

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No. 673,538. Patented May 7, I901.

F. HEWER. ELECTRIC RAILWAY GONDU IT. (Application filed Jun e 12, 1900. (No Model.) 4 SheetsE-Sheet 2.

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No. 673,538. Patented May 7, I90l.

F. HEWEB.

ELEGTRIG RAILWAY CONDUIL (Applicl-flon med June 12. 1900.)

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Patented May 7, I90I.

F. HEWER.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONDUIT.

{Application filed June 19. 1900.)

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ATTORNEYS UN T D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK HEWER, OF OHISWIOK, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY CONDUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,538, dated May '7, 1901.

Application filed June 12,1900. Serialllo. 20,001. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK l-IEWER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 36 Thornton avenue, Ohiswick, in the county of Middlesex, England have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Tramways or Railways on the Slotted-Gonduit System, (patented in Great Britain, No. 22,989, bearing date November 18, 1899,) of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are, first, to construct a slotted conduit for the reception of a conductor or conductors for the use of electric tramways or railways which can be rapidly laid and which does not necessitate a deep excavation, thus avoiding undue disturbance of the streets or interference with existing water, gas, or other mains; second, to construct a slotted conduit that can easily be cleaned and drained; third, to construct a slotted conduit for the reception of a conductor or conductors for electric tramways or railways in such a manner that the conductors and the insulators which carry the said conductors can be easily removed for cleaning or renewal; fourth, to construct a holder for the insulator which will allow the insulator to be withdrawn for cleaning or renewal without displacing or disturbing the continuity of the conductor; fifth, to construct a holder for the insulator in such a manner that the insulator is protected from damage due to strains on the conductor or due to expansion or contraction of the said conductor, and, sixth, to construct an insulator of high insulation and at the same time capable of removal without displacingor disturbing the holder or conductor.

Referring to the drawings, whichform a part of this specification, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are half-sections of adouble track. Fig. 1 shows the access-doors and one method of draining the conduit and road. Fig. 2 shows the access-doors. Fig. 3 shows the method of tying the sides of the conduit to the tramrails by means-of a girder and tie-bars. Fig.

4 shows the construction of the conduit and the track between the aforesaid access-doors and girders. Figs. 5 and 6 show the method of insulating the conductors. Figs. 6 and 7 also show the construction of the insulator. Fig. 8 is a plan of a double track, showing the steel divided into sections of suitable length A and may be coated internally with a composition to prevent condensation of moisture. Between each section is placed an iron frame F F, securely bolted to the ends of the section and containing access-doors D D. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 8.) The insulator-holders H H are fixed to the two sides S S at convenient distances from the access-doors D D. (See Fig. 8.) The sections S S are set in concrete or other suitable material K K, which forms the bottom of the conduit. The sections S S are tied to the tram-rails R R by the bars B B and girders G G, substantially as shown in Figs. 3 and 8.

The top of the sides S S is preferably kept above the level of the tram-rails R R, so that the surface-water drains away from the slot toward the sides of the road. Inthe case of a double track gratings N can be provided to drain the center of the roadinto a sewer, which is placed in any convenient position. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 8.) At convenient distances drain-pipes E E are placed, preferably under the access-doors D D, to drain the conduit into the sewer or any other convenient place. (See Figs. 1 and 8.)

The holders H H are preferably provided with the spring packing or buffer P P, and at the insulating-points the conductors C O are also preferably provided with aspring packing or bufferPP, so that the insulator I I is protected and held in position by a flexible connection between the conductors O Cand holder H H, as shown in Fig. 5. By this means the insulator L L can be easily withdrawn at the access -doors D D for cleaning or renewal without disturbing the holder or conductor.

The insulator is made to extend a considerable distance beyond the holder H H, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, affording, therefore, a large surface to prevent leakage to earth. This and the ease with which the insulator can be cleaned insures permanently a very high insulation.

The conductor 0 O is made up of sections, any one of which can be easily removed in Figs. 9 and 10. Here the tram-rail R It forms one side of the conduit, the other side being made up of iron or steel sections S S,

provided with tie-bars, girders, and accessdoors, substantially as before described.

Having now described my inventidn, what.

I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In an electric-railway conduit the combination of pairs of specially-formed rolled steel or iron 1 or Ii shaped sections S S of suitable length, the webs forming the sides of the conduit and the top flanges forming the top of the conduit, the webs having insulator-holders H H fixed at convenient distances apart and provided with horizontal grooves or recesses lined with packing to hold the insulators; insulators I I which slide into the recesses of the holders H H and the conductors C O which are formed in sections and provided with packing-pieces P P, said insulators sliding over projections on the conductors all substan tially as described.

2. In an electric-railway conduit the combination of pairs of specially-formed rolled steel oriron L or J shaped sections S S of suitable length, the Webs forming the sides of the conduit and the top flanges forming the top of the conduit, the webs having insulator-holders H H fixed at convenient distances apart and provided with horizontal grooves or recesses lined with packing to hold the insulators; insulators I I which slide into the recesses of the holders H H and the conductors C O which are formed in sections and provided with packing-pieces P P; said insulators sliding over projections on said conductors, a concrete bed K K having steel or iron sleepers set in same having a depressed central portion to which the L or 3 shaped bars are securely bolted and raised ends to which the rails R R, which are tied to the sides of the conduit S S, are securely fastened, the depressed central portion of said sleepers together with the concrete bed forming the bottom of the conduit, all substantially as described.

3. In an electric-railway conduit the combination of pairs of specially-formed rolled steel or iron "L or 3 shaped sections S S of suitable length, the webs forming the sides of the conduit and the top flanges forming the top of the conduit, the webs having insulator-holders H H fixed at convenient distances apart and provided with horizontal grooves or recesses lined with packing to hold the insulators; insulators I I which slide into the recesses of the holders H H and the conductors O O which are formed in sections and provided with packing-pieces P P; said insulators sliding over projections on the conductors, a concrete bed K K having steel or iron sleepers set in same and having a depressed central portion to which the L or J shaped bars are securely bolted and raised ends to which the rails R R, which are tied to the sides of the conduit S S, are securely fastened, the depressed central portion of said sleepers together with the concrete forming the bottom of the conduit; and iron frames F Finterposed between each section of the conduit formed by the bars S S and securely bolted thereto and forming the sides of the conduit, in the intervals between the ends of each section, steel or iron hinged doors carried by these frames forming the top of the conduit and when closed completing the continuity'of the road-surface and the conduit, all substantially as described.

4:. In an electric-railway conduit the combination of a steel or iron bar S of suitable length, insulator-holders H, insulators I, cond-uctors C, sleepers G which together with the concrete bed form the bottom of the conduit, frames F, and doors D, with the track-rail R forming one side of the conduit as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK HEWER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR BERTRAH RIGBY, WILLIAM RICHARD THOMAS Corrnutt. 

